That day a simultaneous attack was carried out on the Carlos M. de Cespedes Barracks in Bayamo directed by Raúl Martínez Ararás by order of Castro.

The date on which the attack took place, 26 July, was adopted by Castro as the name for his revolutionary movement, Movimiento 26 Julio (abbreviated as M-26-7),[1] which eventually toppled the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista on 1 January 1959.

He discussed this with Calabazar cell leader Pedro Trigo Lopez (es), who suggested approaching his relative Florentino Fernandez Leon, a 26-year-old military hospital orderly in Jaimanitas.

[9][non-primary source needed] The plan was to secure the barracks and gain possession of the weapons stored within, and to use the building's army communications equipment to spread false messages for several hours to confuse the military.

[10][non-primary source needed] In the meantime, the weapons would be removed and hidden throughout the city to use in the continuing struggle, and Santiago's radio station would be taken to broadcast the speeches of Eduardo Chibás, in order to mobilize the public with the ultimate aim of bringing down the Batista government.

[13][non-primary source needed] On 26 July 1953, at 5:15 am, Fidel Castro led a group of 136 rebels (with an additional 24 intending to take the barracks at Bayamo), including his brother Raúl,[14][non-primary source needed] in an attack on the second largest military garrison; commanded by Colonel Alberto del Rio Chaviano.

[citation needed] The group formed a 16-automobile caravan in order to give the appearance of being a delegation headed by a high-ranking officer sent from western Cuba.

[citation needed] The Santiago de Cuba Urgency Tribunal indicted 122 defendants in Case 37 of 1953 to stand trial for 26 July insurrection.

Fifteen of them, including deposed President Carlos Prío Socarrás, Aureliano Sánchez Arango, José Pardo Llada, and Communist leader Blas Roca, were underground or in exile and never went to court.

In consequence, Moncada chief Col. Alberto del Rio Chaviano, impeded Castro from returning to court by claiming that he could not attend due to illness.

Confessed leaders Raúl Castro, Oscar Alcalde, Pedro Miret, and Ernesto Tizol received 13-year prison sentences.

Rebels Manuel Lorenzo, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Orlando Cortez Gallardo, who refused to participate in the attack at the last moment, got three-year sentences.

As popular support for the rebels and opposition to Batista's rule mounted, a group of political leaders, editors, and intellectuals signed a public appeal demanding liberty for the prisoners.

In 1978, Castro ordered the massive perimeter walls rebuilt and converted half of the main building into the July 26 Historical Museum.